Which is Colder?
by Willow Tracy
Summary: Eve and Robert are in trouble and Percy is mad. Eve takes it pretty hard because she's not used to her hero throwing out punishments.
1. Chapter 1

_**Authors Notes: This one is a bit more...angsty then normal cause Percy has to be a daddy and discipline his kids. Hope you like it more then likely I'll put up part 2 tomorrow cause its 12 am and I gotta put my daughter on the bus tomorrow morning :D  
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_**Which is Colder?**_

_**Drabble 3**_

_**Part 1**_

It was snowing and it was very very cold outside. Eve's eyes were sweeping back and forth beyond the French doors. She just loved to see the garden go from green to white in just a few moments like this. The snow was falling thick, and hard. She looked around at her brother who yawned out of boredom. She was meant to watch him today while her parents went into town to fetch a few things…or rather something for Robert's 4th birthday.

Eve smiled and picked up her brother. She was only 14, but that was okay, she was far older than anyone ever treated her. "You know I've got another hour before my friends come to study. Would you like to go and play with me in the snow?" She asked and looked around to grab her jacket.

Robert looked thoughtful at the notion and seemed very intent on doing as she said, but he didn't really like the snow. It was cold, and wet, and it got in your boots. Nothing was worse then soggy shoes.

"Eve can we go sledding?" He asked pointing to the small hill beside the house. She didn't see why not. It was close to the house and they were only going to be outside for a few moments.

"Sure why not. We'll take the sled out along the house and ride it down. Nothing to big."

"Awww but Evy the one over there is bigger, and much more fun. Papa takes me. Please?" His eyes were just as big as could be, she however was rock solid.

"No not that one Robby. I don't want to take Papa's fun away from you. Besides…I'm sure when Papa gets home he'll take you up there and you'll have so much fun it'll come spilling out of your nose again."

"Yeah in the form of snot." He laughed. Eve rolled her eyes and helped her brother pull on his fur coat.

Soon enough both kids were drifting down the hill on a sled that Eve had gotten for her birthday last year. An hour went by pretty fast. To fast for Robert who decidedly started to like snow, and understood why Eve loved it so much.

Eve had ushered her brother back into the house and pulled off his wet jacket, and shoes. Much to his protest she even had him pull off his trousers and have them replaced. His pants were wetter then the snow she had told him.

Eve had left her brother by the fire with warm slippers, night coat, hot chocolate, and his toys. She had to run off to get dressed before her friends got there. She too was soaked.

Upon returning back from getting warmed up, she thought she had heard her friends. But they were being ushered back out of the building by the valet. "Is something wrong?" Eve asked the valet who pointed to her father beside the fire. He was visibly red in the face.

"Papa is everything alright?" She asked. When he looked up his anger didn't disappear like normal. He normally hid things like this from her. Very very well actually. Not this time however, his eyes locked on hers and suddenly she had a great big impulse to run. The fight or flight effect wanted to take place. She however trusted her Papa not to hurt her…he wouldn't hurt her…right?

"Your mother and I just got home. What do we find when we get back? Your brother was up on the hill top…sledding without any supervision. Eve you were supposed to be watching him!" Percy yelled the last bit. Eves eyes grew wide.

"But I had brought him back inside after we went sledding." Eve tried to defend herself.

"Oh? He said you gave him permission to go out there. Said you didn't mind as long as he was careful."

"I did n…"

"Your grounded Eve…hold out your knuckles." Oh no…she had only ever seen him do this to Tony for making as big a mess as he normally did.

"What…what am I being hit for?"

"For each lie you told to me." On Tony this would just leave a welp. The man had tough skin that could rival leather. Her fingers…how small they were…

"I didn't lie!" She countered. She couldn't defend herself now. Her knuckles were on the table, the leather strap in Percy's hand.

"This one is for telling us you'll take care of him. You betrayed my trust and will not be aloud in the house by yourself until you gain it back again." He hit…hard. What did he expect her to do…steal something? Where was she going to take it? Her room?

"Yes Papa…"

"This is for telling us you took him inside when you clearly did not." The pain ripped through Eves arm and tears started to stream down her face.

"I did tell him to come inside. I told him to, I had him take off his boots, and his pants had him change cause he was soaked. So was I…that's where I was when you came home. Changing." Sobs were wracking her body now. The large welps had caused her fingers to turn blood read. Even a small spot started to bleed.

She understood his anger, Robert was his only blood child. Eve just stumbled onto the position. She often wondered if Percy would have done the same thing to his son if there roll was reversed. If it were Robert who was older and she younger.

"Eve…you need to go to Robert and apologize to him. He got into trouble too."

"Was he spanked too?" She asked almost in horror.

"No you're the one in that sort of trouble. Hes in trouble for not following the rules. He's writing lines." Percy said and tucked the strap back into his belt loop. He was about to take Eves hand when she pulled it from him. She wanted to soak them in water…nice cold water. She however probably wouldn't be aloud.

Percy looked at her as if she were a disobedient dog pulling on its leash. "Eve…come on."

"No…I won't apologize to him for something he done himself. I'm sticking with my story, and the fact that you don't believe me over him shows me that you never trusted me in the first place." Eve said and firmly walked from the room.

This caught Percy completely by surprise. He walked into the room and looked at his son who was saying every word as he wrote it.

"Robby? Your sister says she's not going to apologize to you for getting you into trouble." Percy said. Robert looked up at his father. "She says you went out by yourself. She's sticking to that story even though she got a spanking." Percy said to see if it got any reaction from his son. Robert slowly looked up at his father.

"Spanking…why?"

"For lying to me."

"Oh Percy you didn't take that leather strap to her fingers did you?" Marguerite asked seeing the strap on his belt.

"Yes." Percy said and looked down at his son knowing how that strap felt on his behind. He got it good for lying to his father. Although…he was sure he hit Eve harder.

"If you come clean now…I won't spank you. If not Eve stays grounded." Percy said walking toward the door. He had to see if Eve was alright. He didn't mean to hit her half as hard as he was sure he did.

"You could just apologize to her by ungrounding her." Robert blurted.

"So I'm taking that as an affirmation that you did lie then?" Percy said walking from the room then peaked back into the room. "Add another 500 to that other 500 lines." He said and walked back down the hallway.

When he got into Eves hall and knocked on her door…there was no answer. He slowly opened it thinking she maybe studying or asleep…but it was neither. She wasn't there. A note was left on her bed. He quickly walked into the room. He opened the piece of paper and read.

"_I'm sorry you feel that I can't be trusted. I actually don't think you ever trusted me in the first place. I really thought for a moment that you wanted me…but lately you've been getting kind of bitey with me. So I'll do us both a favor and get lost for a little while. I donno when I'll be back. I don't even know where I'm going. I just need to think for a bit…I would say I'd miss you, but I really don't think you'll miss me._

_Love from…the burden."_

Percy's fingers were wet from the tears falling down his face. He didn't mean for her to feel the way he did. He wanted her to feel welcome, and he's only succeeded in making her feel left out. Perhaps he did jump to conclusions. Maybe he should have asked for both stories before dealing out the punishments.

His heart felt like it had a hole in it. His arms ached to hold her in his arms. Even his throat was dry as if the finest wine wouldn't quench his thirst.

He ran from the room. Perhaps he could catch up with her. He pushed open the double doors onto the balcony only in time to see her race by while she road on Demons back. "Eve!" He called after her…but no luck. The Demon took her away from him…his Eve…his daughter.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Authors Notes: Yeah this one was a feels chapter. Percy does a whole lot a wah wah in it. Poor guy.  
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_**Which is Colder?**_

_**Drabble 3**_

_**Part 2**_

Percy looked up when he heard the double doors open. He didn't move; much less speak which allowed for the boy to speak. Peter looked at his Lord and sighed. "You stepped into it today didn't you Sir?" He asked.

"What do you mean Peter? Speak quickly; I am not in the mood for riddles." Percy looked back down at his daughters hand writing. By the end of the night Robert was crying his eyes out apologizing to his father for his sister's disappearance.

"Eve sir. She's at my house crying her eyes out saying you don't love her. Didn't even give her a chance she said sir." He said and walked forward to look at Percy squarely. "If I weren't a proper servant to her, I would have popped you full on the mouth sir!" He said. Percy stood up to his full height looking down at the boy. Peter instantly thought he was about to be struck. But what he actually got was a soft smile.

"I'd expect no less of you Peter. I'd deserve it." Percy put his head against the glass of the French doors. The snow still fell down on the other side.

"Then her fingers sir…they were purple and green. I had to fetch a bucket of snow so she could soak her poor fingers in it. They was bleeding a bit too sir." He looked at the man he respected. He never thought Percy would have ever hit his daughter…ever. As a matter of fact he had never heard of Percy ever hitting her ever. He knew Percy had sat her down and talked things out with her. But since Percy got back from Paris a few weeks ago, he had lost one of his rescues. He meant to save 58 people from a caravan bound from Golden to Paris…and only 32 people made it. How was he to know they had orders to shoot the people…rather then he and his men.

Percy looked at his daughters Man servant and was about to speak when Peter put up his hands.

"No…she's asleep and she'll stay that way till she wakes up. She'll wake up and start to cry again. I know her…she's got a soft heart, and you're her hero sir. If she thinks your angry with her, she'll cry for days." Peter said and looked up when his father brought in some tea. Viktor looked amazed that his son was there at all. He was off today it was Tuesday. Eve always let him off on Tuesdays.

"I need to see her…please. Tomorrow then?" Percy asked. Peter wanted to say yes to the man in front of him. He really wanted them to get along again. There was nothing better than seeing Eve and Percy joking around, and on occasions horse playing in the garden. He had to wash out grass stains at least five times a week because of it. Especially now that Robert was joining in on the fray.

"Sir…if she feels well enough to, then I'll allow it, but…right now she needs to work things out." Peter said and looked at Viktor who walked over to his son. "But just so you know…and this is to tell you the full extent of the injuries she's sustained to her fingers." Peter said, this caused Percy's heart to leap from its place and get stuck in his throat. "I had to relocate her ring finger." He said.

"Yes…I think brandy will be needed tonight…I don't think tea is going to cut it. Maybe whiskey…" Viktor said. Percy seemed rooted to the spot, he wasn't able to move, he couldn't catch his breath, his heart was beating so fast. He didn't realize he had been standing in that same spot for nearly an hour.

"Might want to move from that spot…before I have to call out the long boats to save you from that ocean your creating." Viktor said. He thrust the whiskey into Percy's hand as he noticed he was crying so much that his face was wet, and his cravat was drenched.

"Sir…its natural to get angry every so often. Even the Prince of control can't keep it together forever." Viktor said and pulled off Percy's cravat and rung it out. It wasn't as drenched as he had thought.

Percy made a strangled noise he dropped the glass which shattered to the ground as he walked forward and put his forehead against the glass. Viktor patted the man's back as a fresh bout of tears took the formers place.

"Come on man pull yourself together. She's a child, and a woman. They can take a pain worse then death, then they can take a bit of a spanking sir." Viktor said and jumped when Percy opened the French doors and looked out over the white garden.

"I hurt her…without any reason. No reason…my son lied, and I believed him over her. No reason…and I broke her finger." He said running his fingers over his face and sat down in the cold wet snow.

_A few hours into the morning._

Percy had fallen asleep on the sofa next to the fire. He had cried himself to sleep, and Viktor had covered him up with a soft blanket. He jumped out of his sleep when he heard the French doors open softly. He heard soft bare feet on the floor. He slowly raised himself off the sofa to see who it was. He was actually expecting it to be Marguerite, but he saw hay colored hair rather then brown hair that was his wives hair. It drifted down her back in a soft wave. Which was different in itself. He hardly ever seen it down. She normally kept it in a braid around her head. Almost like a golden halo.

The dress she was wearing was dirty, and soaked. He jumped up and ran over to her. She gasped and backed away from the man who seemed over energetic for someone whom just woke up.

"Eve?" Percy asked and held out his hands. Her eyes swiveled to that of the leather strap still on his belt. She looked away and hid her hands behind her back. "I'm not going to hurt you. Please…" He said stepping forward.

"You hurt me…" She said swallowing back the new bout of tears. She actually had came back home to grab some clothing cause she didn't have any time to do so with the fear coursing through her the night before.

Percy looked down at his own hands and then seen the leather strap on his belt. He pulled the strap loose. He caught onto Eves cringe; he threw it into the fire which was maintained all night because he was in the room.

Eve opened her eyes to see him throw the strap in. She felt the gentle embrace before she saw her father's arms in circle her and hold her tightly. She buried her face in her father's shirt which was mostly unbuttoned and hung loosely also half out of his pants. Probably all done in his sleep.

"I'm sorry Eve…I really really am."

"He is…the poor bastard was crying all night and fell asleep crying too. I'm sure the bastard was crying in his sleep too." Viktor said bringing in breakfast.

"Crying…Papa was crying?" She asked looking up into her fathers eyes. She could see the heart ache in them, from how red they were.

"I thought you didn't love me anymore…I thought you had stopped after you said you didn't trust me anymore. Because you can't have love if you don't trust…right?" She asked having heard such a thing told to Robert after a few lectures to the young man after he blurted a few things out before.

"Yes…yes your right. I can't love if I don't trust. I think I let my anger get the better of me because I was scared. If something were to happen to either you or your brother…Id be lost." Percy said and sat down on the sofa. He patted the place beside him. He looked up expecting Eve to start eating first. It was after all the more polite of the things. Eve however didn't move, as a matter of fact…her hands were still behind her back.

"Eve?" Percy asked and looked up with Viktor stepped forward and held out his hands.

"Lets see then." He said pulling the girls hands from behind her back without her permission. Percy's eyes grew wide as he saw the damage to them.

"Percy you did do a number on them didn't you. What did you use? A switch?" He asked. Percy looked at Eve who quietly pulled her hands from Viktors old ones.

"I'm fine…it'll heal." She said and looked up at her father whose hands were covering his face.

This was her father, the one who hides his emotions so well, so much better then anyone she had ever known. The man in tears before her was a man full of despair. This man that had such control over himself, the man who lost control over his love and fear…was loosing control over her soft little hands. He leaned forward picking her fingers up from her lap and pressed his lips to each finger, each scratch, each bruise before turning them over and doing it again.

"Eve I'm so sorry." He said running his fingers over his tear stained face.

"Don't…don't cry Papa." She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. She never wanted to see him like this, never again. "You love me right?" She asked kissing the tears from his cheeks before looking into those baby blue eyes.

"Yes…I never stopped. I was just angry." He said and jumped when he heard the doors open and Peter came in.

"Good now that you got that taken care of…go to bed. She didn't sleep at all last night." Peter said shooing Eve and Percy out of the lobby.

When Lady Blakeney woke up herself she walked into Eves room to see Eve asleep in her bed and Percy stretched out over her, his hands surrounding the small wounded fingers of his daughter.


End file.
